Sunday, June 26, 2011

As we are staying at yet another house with a kind couple, I have internet access once again. We crossed into Vermont today, and we were greeted with a huge mud pit. Nearly the entire trail was mud, mud puddles, and streams. I am sore just from balancing trying to cross the trail without soaking myself. My shoes are no longer their original color...they are simply brown. On a more positive note, we saw a moose just a few hours into Vermont!! She was blocking the trail and we couldn't get past her. Since I have this luxury, I thought I would post a few pictures for you to enjoy!

Wow. What a couple of great days we have had. Things were looking bleak on Wednesday when we hiked an 18 miler in the pouring rain. It didn't stop all day, and we rolled into the shelter soaked and chilled. The next morning, we neroed (a term that refers to hiking near zero miles) into Dalton. Now there are hostels that are advertised in the guidebooks, and then there are people who host hikers but don't advertise. These are called "word-of-mouth" hostels. We and the 3 guys we were hiking with were blessed to have the contact information for a word-of-mouth hostel called the Birdcage. Our trail angel, Rob, took us to his home. We took showers and did laundry, and Rob drove us to an all-you-can-eat buffet (AYCE) where we stuffed ourselves to the point of being sick. We then headed to Walmart where I stood amazed by the selection and low prices. After resupplying, we spent the evening with some other hikers and got to know some new faces. Yesterday, Rob did us a huge favored and allowed us to slackpack 23 miles back to his house. This means that we left our packs and gear with him hiked from north to south 23 miles with only day packs containing food and water. When we got back to Dalton, we had showers, laundry, and delicious food at Jacobs (best clam chowder ever!). After watching the weather report and hearing of an 80% chance of thunderstorms, we decided to take a full zero (hike absolutely no miles) and stay in Dalton one more night with Rob. Tomorrow, we will hiked north and cross into Vermont! Hurray! And thanks to Rob, we have contact information for another secret hostel in Bennington Vermont where we will spend another night indoors. We are being spoiled for sure, but the experience is amazing and the people have been great! Currently, we have hiked 770 miles and have 596 to go before we hit Katahdin in Maine. We then have 819 miles to go from Virginia to Georgia before our thru-hike is complete. It's crazy to look at a map and see how far my feet have carried me!

So what's in store for the rest of our zero? Probably pizza and a movie marathon coupled with an Epsom salt bath for our feet (which do not hold up well in wet weather). I will never take dry socks and shoes forgranted again!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Before Daniel and Kristina started their hike I read books about the Appalachian Trail and I read stories about "trail magic" and "trail angels." I assumed they were just that - stories, or at least events of the past, another time. I assumed that things like that would be rare if at all these days.I have been pleasantly surprised, and even overwhelmed to find out that trail magic still happens in 2011 and that trail angels abound. Early on Teen Bean started telling stories about finding cans of soda left in streams to stay cold for thirsty hikers and coolers of cold gatorade left by the trail that were little bits of heaven on a hot day. Then there was a group that camped by the trail for a week and fed passing hikers with hot dogs and baked beans and fruit. There was the trail angel that hiked up to their shelter one morning to pass out fresh fruit, then went on his way to the next shelter to cook them breakfast. Another angel even hiked up to their shelter with ice cream sandwiches! The most amazing event took place last Sunday. After a grueling 26 mile day in the rain and fog, over rough terrain, with several tumbles, bumps and bruises and getting to the shelter in the rain and finding it mostly full, the next day 5 worn out and dirty hikers were invited home by an "angel" family they met on the trail. They received food, not just any food but a steak dinner, a soft dry place to sleep, showers and much needed encouragement. To that family, whoever you are, thank you so much for the kindness you have shown my 2 kids and their friends. Thank you God that trail magic still happens in 2011!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

It's been good to be home with family and friends in Ohio. We attended our brother's graduation last night and ate lots of delicious food at his graduation party tonight. It felt rather luxurious to sleep in a warm bed and take a hot shower, but we are ready to get back on the trail tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon. Our food bags are somewhat overstocked with goodies, and our clothes are clean (at least for now). It has felt like a dream to be here these past 3 days; I didn't realize how accustomed I've become to being outdoors all the time. Time with family, however, is precious, and these memories will be cherished as we move forward in our journey! The month of June holds several new states, new hiking shoes, new hiker's faces, and even my birthday celebration (maybe we will walk 22 miles, one for each year I've been alive!). Well, with our feet well rested and our sights set on Maine, we head back to the trail!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

I woke up this morning, and it took a moment to realize where I was. There were no birds chirping. There was no dirt covering me. I didn't have to walk down the blue-blaze trail to get water from the spring. I didn't eat pop-tarts for breakfast. There was no lingering smell from yesterday's hike. And I didn't walk anywhere.

We are home for a 3-day break for our younger brother's graduation. We've covered 439.4 miles in the past 29 days. We are 20% done with our journey. We've hiked from Central Virginia to Northern Pennsylvania. We've encountered so much in the past month that it's hard to think what's still coming up. Some of my favorite memories so far are the unexpected encounters with scenery and people. We will be home until Sunday when we will drive back to where we left the trail and will continue our trek to Maine.

Some people have asked me what trail magic is. Let me explain. Trail magic is an unexpected surprise left by someone for the benefit of hikers. The people that leave trail magic are referrred to as trail angels. Trail magic comes in many different forms such as food, drinks, rides, and/or places to stay. Last week, we encountered a cooler full of cold gatorade at a road crossing. Tuesday, four guys drove up from South Carolina and parked their trailer. They were spending the whole week feeding hikers hot dogs and baked beans. Other people have asked about shelters. A shelter is a 3-sided wooden structure designed for hikers to sleep under (on the floor). They offer protection from the elements, but often house creatures such as mice, snakes, spiders, and other insects. A zero day refers to a day in which a hiker does not hike while a nero refers to a day in which a hiker only hikes a few miles (usually into or out of a town).

I finally have access to a computer which allows me to upload pictures, so I am adding a photo page! Hopefully these pictures will give you a better idea of what we have been up to the past month!